


Practically Inseparable

by winchester_7983



Series: Practically Inseparable [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, Mentions of Anxiety, Teen Castiel, Teen Dean Winchester, Teen Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-23
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-23 22:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8345140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winchester_7983/pseuds/winchester_7983
Summary: You're finally on your way to college with your friends. It's a long journey ahead of you, but your friends are going to be with you every step of the way. Meanwhile, you get to know your best friend in a way you never dreamed could happen.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So I'm currently in the process of transferring over my fics from Tumblr to here, there are quite a few so it might be awhile. This was my first series that I wrote, and since it's been completed, I'll be uploading the chapters one by one over the next few days. If you'd like to read it all at once instead, you can read it on my blog. I'll do my best to have one chapter up per day, over the next eight days. And, as always, enjoy!

“I still can’t believe we’re all going to school together. I mean, this is what we’ve dreamed of since we were kids!”

You smiled as Jamie showed her excitement. It was true; for as long as you could remember, you and your friends had promised each other to always stick together. Of course, when high school came round you started viewing things more realistically.

What were the odds that you would all end up at the same college? Not very high. But when all five of you had been accepted to the same school, there was no doubt in any of your minds that this was meant to be.

Of course, leaving Kansas would be hard, especially for you. You had lived in Lebanon your whole life and had never ventured further than a few hours from home, and never alone. Jamie had moved next door when you were 5, and the two of you immediately hit it off. The only time you were ever apart was last summer, when she had gone to study abroad in London for six weeks. Other than that, the two of you were practically inseparable, the best of friends.

Dean and Sam lived in Lawrence until they were 12 and 11 respectively, but you knew them through your parents; Mary and your mother attended the same school growing up and were still good friends. After their father died in the line of duty, the Winchesters moved to Lebanon to be closer to family and friends, moving in just a few blocks away from you. The four of you became good friends after that, spending every second you had together.

Castiel Novak moved to to town in eighth grade and you had immediately noticed that he was a bit of an outcast. He didn’t speak much to the other students and spent most of his time either at the library or his home.

You kind of felt bad for the kid, so one day you decided to go sit with him at lunch. After you got him to open up to you, the two of you started talking more often and realized you actually had a lot in common. Soon he was being welcomed into your friendship group and became the newest member of the clan. The five of you vowed to always stick together, and so far that plan was coming along quite nicely.

You were brought out of your thoughts by the sound of laughter around you. Sam had said something funny and your friends were laughing at whatever it was.

It still brought a smile to your face seeing how well Sam fit in. He was a year younger than the rest of you, but he fit it comfortably. Plus, the kid was a genius. He skipped sophomore year, excelling in all of his courses and graduated salutatorian, surpassed only by Castiel.

The five of you were all pretty smart, actually, being in the top ten percent of your class. Which is probably why it shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise when you found out you had been accepted at Stanford University in California. But here you were, on a train with your four best friends, ready to embrace this new experience.

Well, almost ready.

You had never been away from home before and you were absolutely terrified. You’d never admit it to your friends, but they seemed to know, always making sure you knew that you were all in this together.

“Y/N!” You were snapped out of your thoughts by Dean waving his hand in front of your face.

You shook your head. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“I was asking if you’re alright. You seem kinda out of it.”

You offered him a smile. “I’m fine, thanks. Just thinking.”

Despite only being a few months older than you, Dean was always looking out for you, older brother instincts kicking in whenever you seemed down. He was more a brother to you than a friend, really. He had been there for you in times no one else was, and always offered a shoulder to cry on about anything. Being an only child, you appreciated it all. He was like the older brother you always wanted.

You turned to look at the rest of the group. “So what’s the plan once we get there?”

Dean leaned back in his seat with a smirk on his face. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m gonna check out the sororities. Gotta see what I’ve got to work with, right?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Typical. I think I’ll check out the campus library. It’s got to have a few thousand books from the size of it!”

“Heh, Sammy, going to scope out the smart chicks, eh?”

Jamie whacked Dean upside the head.

“No, douche, he’s already got one, in case you’re so thick headed you failed to notice.”

Sam and Jamie had started dating at the beginning of senior year and were undeniably perfect for each other. You had known it was only a matter of time until they got together from the day they met, and you couldn’t be happier for your best friend. Dean was happy for them too, of course, but never failed to make some sort of crack to get on Jamie’s nerves every so often - teasing his little brother was just second nature to him. Outside those times, it was safe to leave the three alone together.

“Well, you guys have fun with that. I’m going straight for my dorm to get my stuff together.” Cas chimed in. You turned around to look at him, sitting next to you as the other three had claimed the seats across the aisle.

“Yeah, I’m with Cas here. I’ll feel much better after unpacking and getting settled in.” You spoke in a light tone but played with your hands nervously.

You were rooming with Jamie, which was a comfort, but you were still nervous about living in new quarters. It scared you a bit to be out all on your own, if you were being honest with yourself. Cas grabbed your hand closest to him and squeezed, giving you a small smile. He knew you were nervous, and with the small gesture he was letting you know that he was there for you.

You turned your head as you heard Jamie chuckle. Sam was whispering something in her ear and she laughed, her face lighting up in delight.

Dean had leaned back in his seat and was snoring lightly as he slept.

Turning back towards Cas, your eyes met. His head was tilted slightly to the side, brows knit, giving away he was concerned. You gave him a smile.

“I’m fine, Cas. Really.”

He nodded, facial expression relaxing some. “It’ll be fine, Y/N. You’ll see, you’re going to love it.”

You leaned into his side and lay your head on his shoulder, sighing deeply.

“I sure hope so.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas reminisces over his relationship with you and realizes something important.

Cas watched as you drifted off to sleep, still laying your head on his shoulder. He absentmindedly played with your fingers, both of of your hands still intertwined, as he thought about how much your lives were about to change.

Everyone was going to be on their own schedule from now on, and not every spare moment was going to be spent in each others company. And Cas was willing to work with that change.

He just prayed that it wouldn’t affect the relationship the two of you shared.

Everyone in the group was close, but you and Castiel had always shared a different dynamic. Maybe it was because you were his first real friend in Lebanon, but even after all this time with the group, he still felt a more profound bond with you that any of the others. It was just something about you; a connection he had felt from the day you first met.

_5 Years Ago_

_Castiel sat down at one of the tables in the back of the lunch room. He pulled out a book from his bag and had begun to read when he saw someone walk up and flop down in the seat across from him._

_“Hey, I’m Y/N. I’ve seen you around, it’s Castiel, right?”_

_Cas only nodded, too taken aback to say anything._

_“Cool name. Exotic.” You popped a fry in your mouth. “So, new kid, where you from?”_

_“Sioux Falls. South Dakota. But before that we lived in Wyoming. We travel a lot with my dad’s work, so I’m not even sure how long we’ll be around. But I like it here.” He finally stopped talking long enough to take a breath. He was surprised at how easily the words had flown off his tongue._

_“Hey, he speaks! What about that.” You smiled brightly, eyes glinting mischievously._

_He finally managed a small grin. Soon enough, the two of you were deep in conversation, talking and laughing like old friends._

Cas smiled to himself at the memory. Surely you must have thought he wasn’t worth your time after one conversation with him, but he was more than pleased to be proven wrong when you sat with him again the next day. Meeting you was definitely the best thing that had ever happened to him, along with finding out his family was settling in Kansas for good.

Lost in thought, Cas didn’t even realize he was being watched until he saw a pair of green eyes and a toothy grin move into his line of sight. He turned his head to look across the aisle.

“What’s got ya so smiley over there, buddy? Doin’ a little bit of daydreaming?”

“Shut up,” Cas mumbled, looked back down at his hands, still holding yours. Dean knew about his crush on you, and he never failed to remind Cas about it, teasing him for keeping it a secret for so long. But Cas only argued back, saying he didn’t want to ruin your friendship, or break the group apart.

“Yeah, that really put a strain on us with Jamie and Sam getting together, didn’t it.” The sarcastic response was always the same, earning the bright eyed boy a deep glare from his best friend.

“I’m just sayin’,” Dean lowered his voice, not wanting to wake you (or Sam and Jamie, who had fallen asleep next to him). “You gotta say something, man. What, you want her to end up with some other guy who loves all the same things she does? Replace you?”

“I’m not getting replaced by anyone, Dean.” Cas spoke with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Dean sighed. “Well you’ve got to do something, Cas; it’s now or never.” He looked up. “You’ve got it bad.”

Cas felt you stir against him, looking up at you with sleepy eyes.

“Wha’s goin’ on? We there yet?”

Cas chuckled, shaking his head. “No, not yet Y/N. We’ve still got about 10 more hours ahead of us, just go back to sleep. I’m sorry we woke you.”

“You didn’ wake me. I was already ‘wake…” Your voice trailed off, drifting back to sleep. Cas smiled, heart leaping as you shifted your body, sighing contentedly as you got comfortable against him. He looked over at Dean, who just shrugged and leaned back in his chair again, closing his eyes.

Cas looked down at you, carding his fingers through your hair. He thought about the way your face lit up whenever you talked about something you were passionate about, the way your eyes would sparkle and shine brightly; he thought about how your laughter was intoxicating and your smile could light up a room; he thought about the way you were with people, how you got along with everyone you met, how with one smile you could make a person feel like they belonged.

He thought about how in love he was with every single thing about you in every way possible.

Cas buried his face in your hair, breathing in the scent of coconut that he had grown so fond of, and sighed deeply. Dean was right.

He had it bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and your friends arrive at Stanford. You open up to Jamie about your feelings towards Cas.

You shifted in your sleep, pressing your face deeper into your pillow. Wait, no. This was too hard to be your pillow. And this didn’t feel like your bed. What? **  
**

Your eyes flew open and you looked up, relaxing when you realized where you were. You were still leaning against Cas, who had long ago fallen asleep, head resting on top of yours. You looked down and saw that your hands were still intertwined, and you smiled to yourself. Cas mumbled something in his sleep that you couldn’t understand. You gave his hand a light squeeze and his eyes fluttered open, smiling when he saw you were awake.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” You smiled up at him. “Sleep well?”

“Considering we’re still on this lousy train, yes. I actually did.” He sat up, stretching, but still not letting go of your hand. “What about you?”

“Yeah. Just woke up a few minutes ago.” You shifted in your seat. “You were saying something in your sleep. Were you dreaming?”

“Hmm?” Cas looked back to you. “Oh, yeah.”

“What about?”

“Mm, I don’t really remember. Something about us.”

You raised one eyebrow. Cas blushed slightly, realizing what he said. “I mean- I mean us, all of us. The five of us. Not us, us. ‘Cause that’d be weird, right? Dreaming of us. You and me.”

You laughed. “Not really. I’ve dreamt about you before.”

Cas turned in his seat to look at you. “Really?” He cleared his throat nervously. “What-what was it about?”

You smiled, leaning back in your seat and turning your head towards him. “I told you. It was me and you. Just hanging out.”

Cas leaned forward, and you suddenly found yourself face to face with him. “Just hanging out?”

Your breath hitched and you whispered, not daring to speak any louder. “Yeah. Just us. Hanging out.”

“Just us,” Cas lowered his voice. His face leaned even closer until you could feel his breath on your lips. “Sounds nice.”

You hummed in agreement as Cas leaned in even more, so close, so close-

“DEMONS.”

You snapped you head back, startled, and turned around. You let go of Cas’ hand in the process, whose face fell as he tried to hide his disappointment. Meanwhile, you had turned to look at Dean, who had scared himself awake by his own shout.

“The hell.” Dean rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he spoke. “Can’t remember the last time I woke myself up by screaming.”

You gave him a small smile. “Don’t worry about it, Dean. We were awake anyways.”

“Speak for yourself.” Sam grumbled, upset by being woken so abruptly. Jamie yawned, also having been woken up. “Where are we?”

You looked at your watch and sighed. “About ten minutes from the station. We should probably start getting our stuff together so we can get out faster.” Your friends agreed, and began to gather their bags.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, after getting a cab out of the train station, the five of you stood outside the entrance of Stanford University. If just the entrance was this enormous, you couldn’t imagine what the rest of the school looked like. No matter how much you told your feet to move, you couldn’t bring yourself to take another step. You felt a mixture of excitement and terror build up inside of you.

“So. This is really it.” You were pulled from your thoughts at Sam’s remark. “It’s a lot bigger than I imagined.”

You nodded. “Much.” Something in your voice must have given it away, because suddenly Cas was at your side and grabbing your hand. You turned and smiled, thanking him silently.

Dean spoke up. “So, I guess we better go find our dorms?”

* * *

You and Jamie were finishing up putting the rest of your belongings away when you heard a knock at the door. You straightened up and opened the door to your small, apartment-style dorm. A young, bright-eyed girl stood in your doorway, smiling brightly.

“Hey guys! I’m Ally, and I’m your Resident Assistant! I’m here to help you guys with any questions or concerns you may have. Is there anything I can help you guys with?”

You smiled politely. “Hi Ally, thanks but I think we’re good for now.”

She smiled back at you. “That’s great! Good to see you guys settling in so quickly.” She handed you a small card. “This is my cell and dorm room number if you guys need anything. I’ll be around here a lot this next week helping out all the new freshmen in this area, just give me a shout if you need me!”

You thanked her once again and closed the door as she walked away, pocketing the card. You stood in the doorway, observing your surroundings. The place you and Jamie had picked to room at was small, but cozy. Right as you walked in the door the living room was to your left, an open room with a couch and television set. To the right was the kitchen, fully equipped and with an island in the middle. Straight ahead led to the rooms, which were all located in a small hallway. To the left were three doors: the first two led to bedrooms, the furthest was a bathroom. To the right were two doors, leading Jamie’s and your rooms respectively. You had specifically chosen the last bedroom on the right side of the hall, since you would be right across from the bathroom, and you knew Jamie in the next room wouldn’t make too much noise.

You sighed, making your way to Jamie’s room, where she was still unpacking.

“Hey, you all done putting up your stuff?” She didn’t even look up as she was putting clothes away in her closet.

“I uh, yeah, almost.” You sat at the edge of her bed. “I put all my clothes away. And my sheets and bedspread are done.”

Jamie looked up. “So you’re basically just starting? What have you been doing for the past hour we’ve been here already?”

You stared at your hands and shrugged. “Mostly walking around, checking out the place. Sitting on my bed.”

Your best friend sat on the bed next to you. “You ok?”

“I don’t know.” You finally looked up at your friend. “I’m just nervous, I guess, being out here and all, not knowing anyone except for you and the guys. Then there’s the school, I mean the place is huge! How am I going to find my way around the place? And then there’s this morning-”

Jamie stopped you. “Wait, this morning? What happened this morning?”

You looked down at your hands again, twisting them nervously. “Well, not anything, really. It’s more of what didn’t happen…”

A groan of frustration. “Y/N, you’re killing me here! Would you just tell me what hap-”

“I think I’m in love with Cas.”

It came out in a rush of words before you could stop yourself. Jamie sat in silence next to you, and you took it as a cue to continue.

“This morning, on the train, I woke up and I was sleeping on his shoulder. And we were holding hands. He woke up, we talked, and then we…” You trailed off, getting yourself ready for what you were about to say next. “We almost kissed. We were about to when Dean scared us all by screaming. And then you guys woke up.” You stared at the ground and braced yourself for Jamie’s response. You were surprised when you heard a muffled sound, and looked up.

Jamie was covering her mouth with her hands, trying desperately not to laugh, and failing miserably. You smacked her in the arm angrily. “Really?! What’s your deal?!”

She removed her hand, gasping. “I- you, hah, you and, you-” She began to laugh again. “You and Cas, we, we all-” Another fit of laughter. A few seconds passed and she was barely able to get out the words: “It’s about time!”

Your mouth gaped in shock. “Excuse me?”

Jamie took a deep breath, finally calming herself down. “Y/N, are you really that blind? You and Cas were practically made for each other. We’ve just been waiting to see how long it would take before you two realized it too.”

You frowned. “We?”

“Me, Sam, and Dean, obviously.” Jamie rolled her eyes. “We totally called it from day one.”

You knit your brows together. “Ok.” You stood up. “I think I’m going to finish packing now.”

Jamie looked up at you worriedly. “You ok?”

Nodding, you hurried out of her room and into yours. You shut the door and leaned back against it, closing your eyes. Was this really happening? You had always liked Cas more than a friend, but had never said anything. You had no idea if Cas even felt the same way, but after today, you weren’t sure where you stood anymore. Did you ruin your friendship? Then again, things between you didn’t seem any different after arriving to the school. You parted ways with a hug and a promise to all meet up with each other later in the day. So obviously, everything was fine. Right?

You groaned and slid to the floor. You really hoped you were just overthinking things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You move into your dorm and meet your new roommate. Castiel makes a confession to his friends.

You didn’t remember falling asleep, but when you came to you were laying on your bed, sunlight peeking through your curtains as dusk set in. You slowly got up, blinking the sleep away from your eyes. You realized you were still in the clothes you had travelled in, so you pulled on a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt, and put your hair up in a messy bun as you left your room.

You walked down the hall, stopping in your tracks when you heard laughing, followed by  a voice you didn’t recognize. New roommates. You took a nervous breath and continued, making your way to the kitchen. You walked in and saw Jamie sitting at the counter, along with a girl you didn’t recognize. She had her back turned to you, but she had long, dark hair and a well-built physique. Jamie perked up at noticing you.

“Y/N! This is Julia, she’s our other roommate.”

You put a smile on your face and walked over to her. “Hey Julia, I’m Y/N. Sorry I wasn’t awake when you got here. And I thought there were four of us?”

Julia shook her head and smiled. “Alex switched rooms last minute. And don’t worry about it. I’ve only been here for a couple of hours, and Jamie has been keeping me company.”

You grimaced. “Man, I’m so sorry. Just a few minutes alone with her is miserable, a few hours must have been unbearable!”

“Ha ha. Very funny.” Jamie got up. “Well while you were playing Sleeping Beauty, I actually did something productive.” She walked over the the oven and opened it up, retrieving three boxes of pizza. “Hungry?”

You stomach growled. “Do you even know me?” You and Julia laughed and grabbed some plates, heading towards the table.

* * *

“Wait wait wait. Ok, start over again. So you wake up and then-”

“I woke up and saw that Y/N was awake too. So we talked for a while and that’s all we were doing before you started screaming bloody murder.”

Upset by the topic, Cas stood from the couch and walked towards the kitchen, motioning the conversation to be over. But Dean wasn’t convinced.

“Dude, you did not look like you’d been just talking when I looked over. Are you sure nothing happened?”

“For the last time, no! Will you please stop asking me about it?”

Dean looked as if he were about to say something else when Sam walked in the room, cutting him off. “If he doesn’t want to talk about it, we can’t make him. It’s his life.”

“Thank you, Sam.” Cas sat back down and went back to his book, ready to forget the conversation. They sat in silence for a moment before Dean began to speak again.

“Alright, well just tell me this. Why have you been acting so off ever since we got here? You look like someone ran over your dog, which doesn’t make sense if nothing actually happened.”

“I don’t have a dog,” Cas mumbled. “And it may have to do with the fact that Y/N and I almost kissed but since it didn’t happen…” The last part was spoken in a barely audible whisper, but Dean heard him.

“I KNEW IT.” He jumped off the couch and pointed an accusing finger at his friend. Cas was suddenly grateful it was only the three of them in the apartment. “You guys have a thing for each other. I totally called it.”

Cas groaned. “Dean, please stop. If she wanted it to happen, it would have. Obviously she doesn’t want to pursue the idea any further seeing she hasn’t said anything about it since.”

“You sure about that?”

Dean and Cas turned their heads at Sam’s voice. He shifted in his seat. “I mean, she’s always been closer to you than the rest of us. And,” he trailed off, looking down at his feet. “You’re not exactly subtle when you stare.”

“I don’t-” he stopped at the glares he received. He sighed again. “Ok, so I like Y/N. What’s the big deal? She doesn’t even like me back.”

Sam laughed, getting up and heading toward his room. Cas furrowed his brow. “What?”

Sam just shook his head, walking away. “Ask Jamie. She’s your inside detail now.”

* * *

You laughed with Jamie as Julia told you stories about her siblings. You were starting to feel more comfortable with living away from home, and you had already formed a good relationship with your new roommate. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all. You had fallen into an easy conversation about your childhoods when Jamie’s phone buzzed. She picked it up and read the message she had received, letting out a surprised laugh. You cocked an eyebrow at her.

“What’s up J? Moose sending you dirty texts again?”

She grinned. “Not this time.” She could hardly contain her excitement as she wrote out a response, setting the phone back on the table. “Just an idea he had.”

“Really? And what could that be?”

“Oh, you know. Just stuff about wanting to go around campus, check it out before classes start.”

You stood, not convinced. “Uh huh. Ok, well, I’m out. The ride here really took it out on me.”

Julia stood also. “Same here. You guys heading to the dining hall for breakfast?”

You shook your head as Jamie spoke up. “I think we’re going to make ourselves something up here.”

Julia nodded. “Alright, well see you guys in the morning!”

She walked away to her room and you followed, pausing briefly in the doorway. Jamie had received another text and was laughing to herself as she responded. You sighed and shook your head, turning towards your room.

Jamie stayed in the kitchen for a few more minutes, already formulating a plan in her mind. A handful more of texts were exchanged before she finally headed to her room, shutting the door and laying in her bed. Jamie smiled to herself as she read Sam’s latest response and sent one last text before turning out her light.

_This is going to be fun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your friends discuss how to get you and Cas together.

Jamie stuck her phone in her purse, getting ready to head out. Hopefully you would believe the half true story that she was meeting up with Sam for breakfast, but she needed to be sure you didn’t show up while they were talking about you. She was in the middle of scribbling a note for you when Julia walked in the front door. That gave her an idea.

“Hey Julia, can I ask you a favor?”

* * *

 Sam sipped his coffee as he sat at a booth near the back of the Starbucks. He was waiting for Jamie to show up so they could start making a plan to get you and Cas together. He was lost in thought when he saw Dean walk in carrying a box of donuts. He searched for his brother momentarily before finding him and taking a seat across from him. He grabbed the coffee his brother had ordered for him and sighed deeply.

“Remind me again why we’re meeting so early?”

Sam deadpanned. “Because I enjoy watching you suffer.” Dean flipped him off and Sam continued. “We still have to all get together for lunch, remember? And it’s easier to get away sooner rather than later.”

“That, and Y/N doesn’t get up before 10 if she can help it. Less trouble on my side.” Jamie had walked in without either brother noticing and slid into the booth next to Sam. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before facing Dean. “So, what have we got to work with?”

Dean leaned forward, grabbing a donut. “Basically what Sam told you last night. Cas finally admitted to us about his crush on Y/N, but he doesn’t think she feels the same way. Hey, did you know that on the train yesterday-”

“They almost kissed? Yeah, I know. Y/N told me.” Jamie smiled smugly. “That girl is in it head over heels. She won’t admit it, but I’ve seen it a long time coming now.”

Sam laughed. “Yeah, if only they saw it too.”

Jamie opened the box and frowned. “Dean, where are my crullers?”

Dean shrugged, “They were out, so I got you some regular glazed. Same thing, right?”

Jamie glared at him and grabbed one, chewing unenthusiastically.

Sam cleared his throat. “So, Cas told us that he doesn’t think Y/N likes him in that way, but we obviously know that’s not true.”

“So why don’ we jus’ tell him tha’?” Dean spoke through a mouthful of donut.

Jamie rolled her eyes. “And what’s the fun in that? It’s more exciting this way.”

“Whatever. Are we done yet? I have a previous engagement with a certain sorority girl for brunch.”

Sam cocked an eyebrow. “Brunch?”

Dean flashed a grin, motioning with his coffee. “I’m telling you man, sororities equal food. I’m loving this!”

Jamie kicked his foot under the table. “Just go. It’s not like you’re gonna help us get anything done anyways.”

He left and she turned to look at Sam. “Do you think he’s right? Should we just tell them and hope for the best?”

Sam shrugged, downing the rest of his coffee. “I don’t know about Y/N, but Cas for sure isn’t going to make the first move, even if we tell him.”

Jamie sighed. “Yeah… This is gonna be harder than I thought.”

* * *

 You finally rolled out of bed around ten thirty, and made your way to the kitchen, wrapped up in a blanket. Julia was sitting at the kitchen table on her computer, Jamie nowhere to be seen. You mumbled a groggy “morning” as you walked over to the fridge and retrieved the box of pizza from last night.

“Hey Julia, where’s Jamie?”

“She said she was going out for breakfast with her boyfriend, but she’d be back in time for lunch. Asked me if I minded hanging out here to keep you company until she got back.”

You smiled, silently thanking Jamie for thinking not to leave you all by yourself on your first morning at Stanford. “Thanks for staying.”

Julia smiled kindly. “No problem. Plus, it’s not like there’s really anything else to do around here before classes start. You two are the only people here I know.”

You walked over and took a seat next to her, nibbling on a cold slice of pizza. “I’m not much better off. Just you, Jamie, and the guys.” You chewed as you mulled over a thought. “Hey, do you want to come to lunch with us? If you don’t have anything else going on.”

“Well it totally beats hanging out here eating leftover pizza, that’s for sure.” Julia laughed. “Thanks for the offer. I’d love to.” She smirked. “Even better, now I get to meet the guys.”

You laughed. “Just make sure that if you see a leather-clad, green-eyed princess coming your way, run. That’s Dean.”

“Green-eyed princess? Now he just sounds dreamy.” Julia drew out the last word mockingly. “To tell you the truth, I’m more excited to meet this Castiel more than anyone else.”

You froze mid-bite, shifting in your seat. “How come?”

Her eyes glinted mischievously. “I wanna meet the guys who’s got my roommate all smiley whenever she talks about him.”

You bowed your head and smiled, feeling a blush creep up your neck. Julia laughed. “See!”

“It’s not like that. He’s my best friend. We tell each other everything, we do everything together.”

Julia grabbed a slice of pizza from the box and took a bite, still watching you from the corner of her eye.

“Seriously! We’re just friends.”

She nodded and got up, heading to her room. “If you say so, girl.”

You hugged your blanket closer and whispered, “Unfortunately, I do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You’re getting more nervous about being at school. You talk to Cas about something personal.

It was around 11:45 when Jamie called. You were putting away the last of your belongings, trying to keep your busy. Julia was great, and your friends were supportive as always, but you still felt a deep hole in your chest. You nearly jumped out of your skin when your ringtone cut through the silence. You looked at the caller ID and answered. **  
**

“Yeah?”

“So the plan is to meet up at Lutticken’s Deli around 1, that work for you?”

“Yeah, sure.” You took a seat on the end of your bed. “Hey, is it cool for Julia to come with? She doesn’t have plans and I kind of already invited her.”

“Sounds good! Warn her though, so she doesn’t get scared off.”

You rolled your eyes, knowing exactly what she was talking about. “We had that conversation. I think she can fend for herself.”

“Alright, see you then!”

“See ya.”

You hung up and searched for Lutticken’s Deli on the Stanford University Map you had downloaded on your phone, and were pleasantly surprised to find it was fairly close by. You tossed your phone on the bed next to you and leaned back against the wall. To be honest, you didn’t really want to go. You wanted to spend time with your friends, but you would much rather walk around campus and get to know it a little better before your classes started on Monday.

You sat up and checked the time on your phone. 11:52. You stood up and grabbed your purse and your apartment keys, crossing the hall to Julia’s room. You knocked on the open door and Julia looked up from her book.

“Hey, so I’m heading out real quick before lunch, but you’re good to come. 1 work for you?”

“Yeah! Where are we eating?”

“Lutticken’s Deli. Know it?” She nodded her head. “Ok. I’ll see you later.”

She waved as you walked away. Locking the door behind you, you quickly made your way down the two flights of stairs, blinking at the sudden brightness as you walked outside. You walked briskly down the sidewalk, taking in your surroundings. There weren’t many people out at this time, which you were glad for. You had never been one for small talk, especially with strangers, and you definitely weren’t feeling it today.

You walked for approximately two blocks before you reached your destination. You entered the apartment complex and walked up one flight of stairs and down the hall, stopping at the last door. You took a deep breath and knocked, the door opening seconds later.

“Y/N?”

Cas’ eyes widened in surprise. You gave him a small smile.

“Can I come in?”

“Oh, sure.” He stepped to the side and you walked in. The guy's’ apartment was pretty similar to yours, but the living room was much larger, and the layout of the kitchen was different. Cas walked over to the kitchen counter and leaned against it.

“Do you want something to eat? Or drink?”

You stood in the walkway with your arms folded and you chewed nervously on your lip. “No thanks, I’m good.”

He motioned for you to follow and he walked over to the couch, taking a seat at one end, you on the other. You sat like that for a few minutes before he spoke.

“I didn’t know you were coming over, did I?”

You laughed. “No, it was a spur of the moment decision.”

He nodded, a pensive look on his face. “Ok.” He looked over at you. “Something’s on your mind. Wanna talk?”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you had been holding. Cas always knew when something was bothering you; you never had to say anything, he just knew. That’s one of the things you loved the most about him.

“Kind of. I just-” You sighed. “I don’t know, I just don’t feel right. It’s awesome, finally being out here with you guys. I don’t think I could do it without you.” Cas smiled at you, and you smiled back. “I want to feel happy about this. I really do. But I can’t. It’s…” You trailed off, letting your eyes fall to your hands. Cas shifted and suddenly your hands were being taken into his own. You looked up into his eyes, staring back at you.

“Hey, it’s ok. You know you can tell me anything.”

You nodded firmly. “I know.” You took another deep breath. “Last year, I was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. It’s always been an issue with me, nothing big, but I think with the anticipation of going off to school and everything it just…” You shrugged, looking down again. “I don’t know. I just needed to talk to someone about it. And you’re the first person that came to mind.”

You looked back up at Castiel. The kindness in his eyes calmed you down considerably, a look you were all too familiar with. He squeezed your hands tight and spoke softly.

“Y/N, you are the kindest, most amazing person I know. You always put others before yourself, you’re always going above and beyond to help your friends. And now, I’m going to help you.” Tears started to form in your eyes. “We’ll make it through this together, ok? I’m gonna make sure of it.”

You nodded again, a tear falling down your cheek. Cas reached up and wiped it away, letting his hand linger. You closed your eyes and leaned into the touch, taking your free hand and holding his to your face. He pressed his forehead up to yours and you both stayed like that for a while.

Eventually Cas began to pull away, and you kept hold of his hand and leaned into his chest, lacing your fingers together. You could feel his heartbeat speed up and smiled to yourself. He readjusted himself to where his other arm was wrapped around your waist, holding you close. He lay his head on top of yours and you closed your eyes again, finally feeling calm. For the first time since you had left home, you felt completely at ease. As long as Cas was by your side, you could make it through this. It was all going to be ok.

* * *

Hushed whispers woke you. Trying to put a finger on who it was, you started making out what they were saying.

“Should we wake them up?”

“But they look so cute! Just leave them alone.”

“It’s already 3, they don’t want to sleep the day away.”

“Whatever, I say we leave them be. How often do they get to spend time like this together?”

“Umm, all the time. Literally every second they have together.”

“I’ll leave them a note. They can meet back up with us later.”

A few more words were exchanged and then you heard the door shut. You gently got up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen table. There was a paper bag from Lutticken’s and a note. It said that they were walking around campus and to call when they wanted to meet up. You smiled and grabbed the bag, walking back to the couch. You were about to ask Cas if he was hungry, but when you noticed he was still sleeping you couldn’t bring yourself to wake him up. You sat back down and leaned back up against him. He sighed deeply and pulled you closer, and you had to smile. Even in his sleep, he wanted you close. _What a dork._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s the first day of classes! It’s an exciting day and exciting things are bound to happen…

The weekend went by in a blur. Your friends kept you busy and you found yourself actually having fun. You explored the campus and scouted the best places to meet up during breaks and where the best dining locations were. You were really starting to like it here, and with each passing moment it began to feel more real to you.

Monday morning came too quickly. Your first class was at 10am, so you set your alarm for 8:30 to give you plenty of time to get ready. You made it with a half hour to spare, so you took a seat in the middle row, next to the window, and waited for others to arrive. You were watching people walk by outside when you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Mind if I sit here?”

You smiled and Sam took the seat next to you. “I didn’t know you were taking this class.”

Sam smirked, pulling out his schedule. “American Cultures, English: Hemingway, Hurston, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald.” He looked over at you. “I thought you knew me better than that?”

You rolled your eyes. “Whatever, nerd.”

“I knew there was a reason we were friends.”

Laughing, you and Sam fell into an easy conversation while you waited for class to begin. Of course you knew he’d be taking some course to do with American Literature, you just didn’t expect to be in the same class. If there was anything the two of you got on the most about, it was books. You could talk for hours on end about the latest novel you had read, or a series that you were both into. It was one of the many things that made you two so close. Your bond with Sam was similar to with Dean; he was like a younger brother to you.

You were still talking ten minutes later when the professor walked in. You put your conversation on hold and somehow managed to pay attention for the next hour.

* * *

After class, you and Sam said your goodbyes as he headed to his next class. Your next class didn’t start for a couple of hours, so you were on your way to your apartment when you received a text message. You saw that it was from Cas and opened it, sitting down on a nearby bench.

“Do you want to come over for lunch? I made food for me and the guys but Sam had a class and Dean’s on a date, so I’m at the place all by myself.”

You bit your lip. Of course you wanted to spend time with Cas, but you also didn’t want to blow off your plans with Jamie and Julia. You sent Jamie a quick text and waited for her to answer. You didn’t have to wait long. 

You rolled your eyes and closed the conversation, not even bothering to respond. You got up and started walking in the direction you came from, sending Cas a text saying you’d be there soon. **  
**

In a little less than ten minutes you had made your way to the apartment, up the stairs, and down the hall. You gave a quick knock to announce your arrival, then opened the door and walked in. You walked towards the kitchen and placed your purse on the counter. Cas was nowhere to be seen.

“Cas? You here?”

You heard a crash and a muffled voice, and then Cas came barreling down the hallway.

“Y/N! I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.”

“It’s fine.” You furrowed your brow. “You ok? I heard a crash.”

“Oh!” Cas ran his fingers through his tousled hair. “Yeah, I’m good. I was trying to hang up the shower curtain, Dean knocked it down earlier. And then you came in and I got surprised and kind of fell off the edge of the tub.” He winced slightly as his hand touched the back of his head.

“Oh my gosh!” You ran towards him and, despite his protests, started examining the back of his head. “You’re not bleeding or anything, but you have a small bump. Here.” You walked him towards the couch. “Stay there.”

He began to protest again but you ignored him and headed to the kitchen, finding the plastic bags and filling one with ice. You wrapped the bag in a dish towel and went back over to Cas, handing him the bag.

“Thanks.” He took the pack and held it to his head. “I could have done that.”

“Maybe. But you probably wouldn’t have.” Cas laughed and just shrugged. “Anyways, where’s the food? I can grab some plates and bring it over here.”

“You don’t have to do that! I’m fine.” He began to stand but you stopped him.

“It’s fine! Plus, I’m more comfortable on the couch anyways. We could watch a movie?” You smiled as Cas nodded and you got up. “Awesome. Now where are the plates?”

* * *

You ended up watching the first Lord Of The Rings movie, and after you finished lunch you found some ice cream in the freezer that the two of you were eating straight out of the bucket. You were about halfway through the movie when Cas spoke up.

“So how are you adapting to everything?”

You nodded through a spoonful of ice cream. “Better. It’s helped a lot not being out here all alone. So thanks for that.”

Cas smiled. “You know we always stick together. If there was a chance we could all go to school together we’d take it. And it all worked out.”

You put down your spoon and set the ice cream on the coffee table. “Yeah. It’s been really nice.” You straightened up in your seat. “Hey, thanks for listening the other day. When I was talking to you about my anxiety. It really means a lot to me.”

Cas turned so that his whole body was facing you now. “Y/N, of course. You’re my best friend, I hope that you always feel like you can come to me about anything.” He took one of your hands in his and placed the other on your cheek. You closed your eyes and your mind wandered back to the other day when you were in this exact position. You leaned into his touch and breathed deeply, taking in the moment. When you opened your eyes, Cas was staring directly into your eyes with a relaxed look on his face. Your breath caught when he leaned in ever so slightly and unconsciously licked your lips. Cas’ eyes flicked down to your lips and then met back up with your eyes. Your heart felt like it was beating a hundred miles per hour and you couldn’t take it anymore.

You closed the remaining distance between you by crashing your lips to his. Cas immediately began to move in sync with you and moved his hand to the back of your neck, pulling you closer. His lips were softer than you could have ever imagined and you soon became lost in the kiss. His free hand found yours and he linked your fingers together. It felt like hours before you finally separated, both breathing heavily. Your gaze met his again and you could only smile. He too was smiling and looked down at your entwined hands.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a very long time.”

You felt your face heat up. “Me too.”

He looked back up at you and smirked. “Guess we’re gonna have to make up for lost time, then.” You smiled even wider as he leaned in again, meeting your lips once more with a fiery passion.

It was hard to believe you ever lived any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your friends find about your newfound relationship with Cas.

You woke up the next morning to your phone buzzing. Checking the time, you saw that it was nine AM. Groaning, you answered the call. “Too early.”

“Good morning beautiful.” Cas’ voice sounded especially cheery. “Sleep well?”

“I would have slept better if you hadn’t woken me up.”

Cas laughed. “Come on, it’s not that early.” You groaned in response. “Anyways, I made blueberry pancakes for breakfast and wanted to know if you guys wanted to come over. Sam and Dean are still here too.”

You reluctantly sat up. “Pancakes? And no less, my favorite kind.”

“Well, I was feeling pretty good when I woke up. I wanted to do something nice for you.”

You smiled. “You’re the best. I’ll be there in a few.”

“See you then.” You hung up and got out of bed, suddenly wide awake. After you had left Cas’ yesterday, you couldn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day. You felt like you were walking on air. You didn’t get the chance to see him again that night, but he had called and you spoke for hours until you had fallen asleep.

You were still smiling when you walked into the kitchen, seeing Jamie and Julia already awake and sipping their coffee.

Jamie looked up at you. “What’s got you all happy this morning?”

“Cas invited us over for breakfast. He made pancakes.”

“Blueberry?” You nodded. “That boy really knows how to push your buttons.” Jamie sipped some more coffee. “You know, he really likes you.”

You walked towards the door, smiling even wider. “Really?”

* * *

 You arrived at the guys’ apartment soon after. You knocked quickly before walking in, the smell of pancakes in the air. Sam and Dean were sitting at the table, stuffing their faces, but Cas was nowhere to be seen.

“Sup ladies?” Dean spoke through a mouthful of pancake. “Dig in.”

Jamie sat next to Sam and Julia took the seat next to Dean. The two of them seemed to be getting along quite well. You grabbed a mug from the cabinet and poured yourself some freshly brewed coffee, leaning up against the counter. Your friends were talking about something amongst themselves, but you weren’t paying them much attention. You were about to ask where Cas was when he walked in, drying his head with a towel.

“Sorry, I was in the shower.” He draped the towel over the back of a chair and said hi to everyone. He saw you by the counter and smiled, walking towards you.

“Hey gorgeous.” He leaned in a pressed a quick kiss to your lips, taking you slightly by surprise. You smiled at him, leaning up against his side. “Morning.” You were bringing your mug up to your lips when you realized the others had stopped talking.You looked up from your coffee and blushed when you realized they were staring at you and Cas. You bit your lip and looked at Cas, who just shrugged. Dean was the first to break the silence.

“So, uh,” he cleared his throat. “When did, well, this,” he gestured with his hands, “happen?”

You set your mug down and played with your hands. “Um, yesterday, actually.” Cas wrapped one arm around your waist. “I came over yesterday for lunch and things just kind of went from there.” You played with Cas’ other hand and entwined your fingers together, smiling up at him. “And so here we are.”

“Aww.” Jamie had her head on Sam’s shoulder and was smiling at you. “You guys are adorable.”

You blushed. “Thanks J.”

“I just want to say,” Dean got up and grabbed another pancake. “I totally called it from day one.”

Everyone voiced in their agreements, going back to their breakfast.

Cas adjusted his hold on you. “What do you mean?”

Sam chuckled. “You guys have been crazy about each each other since you first met. Honestly, I’m surprised you didn’t hook up earlier.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Really now?”

Julia spoke up. “Y/N, even I could tell there was something going on there. And I’ve only known you guys for like, a week.”

“Anyways,” Jamie could see that you were getting uncomfortable from all the attention. “We’re really happy for the two of you.”

You gave her a thankful glance and relaxed back against Cas, who had taken to hiding his face in your neck. You laughed to yourself and squeezed his hand tighter. He looked up enough to meet your eyes and smiled, kissing your jaw. You could get used to this.

* * *

 Later that day, after you had finished with all your classes, you were back at your apartment watching TV with Cas. Sam and Jamie were hanging out at the guys’ place, while Dean and Julia were grabbing a bite to eat. You and Cas were sitting on the couch, you leaning up against his chest, browsing the channels to see what was on. You were having trouble paying attention, however, with Cas pressing kisses all over your neck and cheeks. You sighed and gave up, turning off the TV, turning your body so that you were facing him now. He pouted, trying to pull you back over, but you just laughed and took his hands.

“Clingy, much?”

Cas rolled his eyes. “I’ve waited years to be able to do this. I’m making the most of it now that I can.” He frowned. “Unless you don’t want me to. I can stop.”

“No, of course not!” You played with his fingers. “I think it’s cute.”

He leaned in, kissing you briefly. “Good.” He kissed you again between each word. “Because. I don’t. Plan. On. Stopping. Soon.”

You pretended to be upset, frowning. “Soon?”

“Ever.” He brushed the hair out of your eyes and held his hand to your face. “I love you, Y/N.”

You kissed him, deeply and lingering before leaning back and smiling at him.

“I love you too, Cas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me on tumblr at ruined-by-destiel, where you'll find more of my works.


End file.
